


Meeting on the Mountainside

by Anxiety_Elemental



Category: Warcraft - All Media Types, World of Warcraft
Genre: Ableism, M/M, Mists of Pandaria, Pre-Relationship, Roleswap
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-30
Updated: 2020-07-30
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:53:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,715
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25616929
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anxiety_Elemental/pseuds/Anxiety_Elemental
Summary: A prince of Stormwind meets a dragon on Pandaria (in reverse)
Relationships: Wrathion/Anduin Wrynn
Comments: 2
Kudos: 43





	Meeting on the Mountainside

**Author's Note:**

> I am the biggest slut for role swap AUs, but since I started writing this recently, and fics I don’t spend months or years planning are typically abandoned, this will stay a oneshot. At least for now. Enjoy this little exercise in world building!
> 
> And shoutout to Jolio @DruidOnity on Twitter, [whose twitter post ](https://twitter.com/DruidOnity/status/1287893393826353153) was the original inspiration for this story. Thank you for letting me steal your idea!
> 
> Warnings include ableism from the POV character.

There was a dragon in human form with the group of Pandaren ascending the steps of the White Tiger temple.

Wrathion watched from his hiding spot behind a rock formation on the mountainside. What was a dragon doing on Pandaria? The whole continent was hidden from everyone, or did dragons already know about it? Why would a dragon take an interest in this place anyway?

Wrathion knew dragons couldn’t be trusted.

He followed the group up the steps to the temple, stealthily darting from hiding spot to hiding spot, from rock to rock, whatever shadow he could find. He noted one of their number was also a tauren sunwalker, armor gleaming and a crystalline hammer slung on his back. That wasn’t so unusual, Horde soldiers were already swarming the continent. The fiends were likely already making plans to conquer Pandaria.

That still didn’t explain the dragon, and Wrathion couldn’t tell from here what flight the dragon was from. He wasn’t hiding the fact he was a dragon, a pair of pale brown horns grew from his scalp and his eyes glowed ocean blue, brazenly announcing his species to the whole world. Bizarrely, the dragon walked with a cane, his limping steps slower and more unsteady than his companions. A strange, visible weakness in a dragon was, as far as Wrathion knew, unheard of.

The dragon and his companions reached the top of the steps, and gathered before the closed temple doors. The dragon shakily sat down on a stone bench, and spoke to another one of the Pandaren, too far away for Wrathion to make out the words. The Pandaren nodded, and broke off from the group to go inside the temple first.

Wrathion ventured a little closer to the group. The Pandaren talked amongst themselves, the tauren sat off to one side by himself, and the dragon bowed his head, looking down at his feet. How odd, there were flecks of white scales on the dragon’s cheeks, almost invisible against the pale skin of his face. There weren’t any white dragons, this one must be some kind of mutation or other variant. There always seemed to be news of some new flight, the product of a magical accident or twisted experimentation. He could be a leftover from -

“You don’t have to hide,” the dragon said suddenly, raising his voice so Wrathion could hear him clearly. The Pandaren and tauren turned as he spoke, “I won’t hurt you.” The dragon stared in the direction of Wrathion’s hiding spot, knowing.

Some of the Pandaren behind him already had fists raised, and the tauren stood with one hand on the handle of his mace. Wrathion stood up from his hiding space and held up his arms.“I think the only thing dangerous about you are the large number of guards you have,” Wrathion said, walking out into the open.

“Are you here to hurt anyone?” the dragon asked, though not without an edge to his voice.

Wrathion reminded himself that this was a dragon he was speaking to, even if he was hurt or sickly. Could probably still burn him alive if he wished.

“No,” Wrathion said with care, “I am merely an observer.”

“I do not trust someone who skulks in the shadows,” said the tauren, grip on his weapon tightening.

“I don’t think this one will be trouble, Dezco,” the dragon said, not taking his eyes off Wrathion, “Am I wrong?”

“Since I have no desire to be either burned or pulverized, I will be no trouble,” Wrathion promised, truthfully. He’d long since learned not to pick a fight he has no hope of winning.

The dragon continued to give him a thoughtful, examining stare. “Why don’t you come sit with me?” the dragon said, scooting to make space on the bench, “I haven’t had a chance to speak to many other outsiders since I arrived here.”

This was the first interaction Wrathion’s had since getting shipwrecked that didn’t include the words ‘Alliance dog’ or ‘Usurper’ or ‘Oh you poor little outlander let me coddle you in my big bear arms blah blah blah’ so he’s content to indulge the curious dragon.

“My name is Anduin,” the dragon said with a smile, as Wrathion sat down next to him, “Who are you, my shy friend?”

Wrathion bristled, and declared, “I, am Prince Wrathion Prestor of Stormwind!” It didn’t matter that his clothes were torn, or that he was filthy with a mix of mud and blood, he wasn’t about to be talked down to.

“Ah,” Anduin’s smile dropped into a more guarded expression, “Your reputation precedes you.”

More likely his family’s reputation, but Wrathion wasn’t going to nitpick, at least not that point. “Fear not, I’m not plotting anything,” Wrathion grinned, “Not now, at least.”

Wrathion noted that though the Pandaren had gone back to speaking among themselves, the sunwalker, Dezco, continued to give him a suspicious glare, flat ears pinned to his skull. Wrathion stretched out his legs, leaned back, and couldn’t suppress a grin.

“How does a prince from a land an ocean away come to Pandaria?” Anduin asked, leaning forward just a bit, as if to get a better look at Wrathion’s face.

“Not by choice,” Wrathion said, glumly, “I was shipwrecked! The Horde attacked in the middle of a storm and I ended up on these shores. Technically, I’m the one all the fuss is about, uh, sorry about that,” he added addressing the Pandaren, only with a little sincerity. He’d be much more sorry if Pandaria had fewer tigers.

The Pandaren, as one, gave him a deeply unfriendly glower.

“I’m sorry that you’ve had to suffer,” Anduin said, with total honesty, catching Wrathion completely off-guard, “This land and its people are unique and beautiful, and have been nothing but kind to me. I wish everyone could have such an experience.”

Wrathion caught himself staring slack-jawed. What kind of dragon talked like that? Red probably, or maybe Green, but there didn’t seem to be any particular tint to the few scales Anduin had, though it was hard to tell in this form. But that still didn’t answer the question, “What flight are you even from?” Wrathion asked bluntly, unable to contain his curiosity anymore.

“I don’t know,” Anduin said with a casual shrug.

Wrathion squinted at Anduin, trying to detect if this was another joke, or some kind of deception “You don’t know? How can you not know?”

“My egg was abandoned in the snow in Dragonblight,” Anduin explained, matter-of-factly, “No one knows who my parents are. I don’t mind, I’ve made plenty of dragon and mortal friends.”

Wrathion laughed, short and mean, and Anduin frowned, “What do you find so funny?”

“You are such a strange dragon,” Wrathion said, “What dragon has mortal ‘friends’? You can’t be serious.”

“I am already a strange dragon, it hardly matters how strange. And something tells me you are not one to lecture about interpersonal skills,” Anduin said, with a wicked grin of his own.

Wrathion put a hand over his heart, and made his gasp as dramatic as possible, “You wound me!”

“Something tells me you will be fine,” Anduin said, but then his smile faded again, “Speaking of, you’ve complained of Pandaria as a hostile place, yet you remain. You could go home at any time, there have been more Alliance soldiers. I’ve seen them establishing camps across the continent, and some of them are likely looking specifically for you. I’m sure your family is worried about you.”

Wrathion looks down at his nails, blunt and breakable, nothing like the white claws Anduin has on the ends of his fingers. Wrathion would much prefer to have claws.

“...Are you here to speak to the White Tiger too?” Anduin asked.

“No,” Wrathion said, looking up from his nails, “I was just wondering why a dragon would do so.”

“Have you encountered the sha?” Anduin asked as his expression darkened.

Wrathion remembered shapes in the dark, the land stripped of all color, snarling voices that knew too much. “I’m afraid I have.”

“They’re appearing in greater number and in more powerful forms than they have in thousands of years,” Anduin said, “The Pandaren believe it’s connected to the invasions and the outbreak of war on their shores. The White Tiger can grant us access to a place called the Vale of Eternal Blossoms, its power should help drive the sha back.”

“And you’re here,” Wrathion waved at hand at the Pandaren, “Why?”

“We are hoping that if they have outsiders make the plea, the White Tiger will give the Alliance and the Horde a chance,” Anduin explained, “Though I am unaffiliated, we do have Dezco to represent the Horde. We’re hoping together we can make a case that not all of either faction mean Pandaria harm.”

“But why do you care what happens to the Alliance or the Horde?” Wrathion asked.

Anduin pinned him with his stare, glowing blue eyes looked into brown, “Because every life is a universe.”

The Temple door opens with a loud creak, interrupting Wrathion’s train of thought anddrawing the attention of Anduin and his party. The Pandaren returned to the rest of his group with a solemn nod.

“Master Xuen has agreed to hear us,” he said, “We can enter now.”

“Thank you, Koro,” Anduin said, and stood with the help of his cane, much less shaky now. “You can join us, if you wish,” Anduin said to Wrathion, “I only ask that you be quiet while we speak. We need to persuade the White Tiger of our need, or we fear the sha may become a greater threat to everyone.” He turned to nod first at Koro, then Dezco,“It’s now or never.”

The party followed Koro inside, and the large temple doors creaked closed behind them.

Wrathion found himself staring at the doors in a rare moment of indecision. He’s spent most of this time on the continent getting lost or attacked by all manner of people and creatures. This was the first time, maybe in a very long time, someone was actually friendly to him. Or at least had at least a neutral opinion of him. Invited him to follow, even.

That and, frankly, he was bored.

Wrathion stood up, hesitated, then followed Anduin inside.


End file.
